Turkey’s Erdogan denounces Greece-Egypt maritime deal as ‘worthless’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a maritime deal between Greece and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean as “worthless,” saying his country will resume its controversial oil and gas exploration in the area.

Speaking after Friday prayers in the recently-reconverted Hagia Sophia Mosque, Erdogan said the deal was a supposed response to Turkey’s maritime agreement with Libya’s internationally-recognized government that had been reached last year.

The maritime deal angered Greece at the time, which slammed it as an “infringement on its sovereignty” that could complicate Athens’ decades-old disputes with Ankara over Cyprus and maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.

Erdogan said Turkey had paused research in waters disputed with Greece after a request from German Chancellor Angela Merkel but had now restarted research activities.

“I told (Merkel) we’ll pause drilling for three to four weeks if you trust Greece and the others… but I don’t trust them and you will see,” the Turkish president said. “We have immediately resumed exploration activities.”

He said the Turkish research vessel Barbaros Hayreddin, which is sailing off the western coast of Cyprus, would continue working in the area.

On Thursday, Egypt and Greece signed a bilateral agreement that sets the sea boundary between the two countries and demarcates an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the deal as “null and void” in a statement late Thursday, stressing that Greece and Egypt had no mutual sea border. The ministry also said the deal attempted to usurp Libya’s maritime rights.

Turkey and Greece are locked in a dispute over offshore rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

European Union (EU) member Cyprus and Turkey have also argued for years regarding the ownership of fossil fuels in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara says Turkish Cypriots are entitled to a share of the resources.

Turkey rejects the agreements that the internationally-recognized Cypriot government has reached with other Mediterranean states on maritime economic zones.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup. Several peacemaking efforts have failed, and the discovery of offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean has complicated the matter.

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Turkey’s Erdogan denounces Greece-Egypt maritime deal as ‘worthless’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a maritime deal between Greece and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean as “worthless,” saying his country will resume its controversial oil and gas exploration in the area.

Speaking after Friday prayers in the recently-reconverted Hagia Sophia Mosque, Erdogan said the deal was a supposed response to Turkey’s maritime agreement with Libya’s internationally-recognized government that had been reached last year.

The maritime deal angered Greece at the time, which slammed it as an “infringement on its sovereignty” that could complicate Athens’ decades-old disputes with Ankara over Cyprus and maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.

Erdogan said Turkey had paused research in waters disputed with Greece after a request from German Chancellor Angela Merkel but had now restarted research activities.

“I told (Merkel) we’ll pause drilling for three to four weeks if you trust Greece and the others… but I don’t trust them and you will see,” the Turkish president said. “We have immediately resumed exploration activities.”

He said the Turkish research vessel Barbaros Hayreddin, which is sailing off the western coast of Cyprus, would continue working in the area.

On Thursday, Egypt and Greece signed a bilateral agreement that sets the sea boundary between the two countries and demarcates an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the deal as “null and void” in a statement late Thursday, stressing that Greece and Egypt had no mutual sea border. The ministry also said the deal attempted to usurp Libya’s maritime rights.

Turkey and Greece are locked in a dispute over offshore rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

European Union (EU) member Cyprus and Turkey have also argued for years regarding the ownership of fossil fuels in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara says Turkish Cypriots are entitled to a share of the resources.

Turkey rejects the agreements that the internationally-recognized Cypriot government has reached with other Mediterranean states on maritime economic zones.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup. Several peacemaking efforts have failed, and the discovery of offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean has complicated the matter.

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Uniform education system best way to end discrimination in society: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Friday a uniform education system was the best way to end discrimination among different segments of the society.

Speaking during a meeting he chaired to review reforms in Punjab's education system, PM Imran Khan said real development was possible only through education and by ensuring access to it across the board.

Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas gave a detailed briefing to the premier on reforms and new projects in the education system of the province.

The prime minister appreciated the Punjab government's training of the teachers, as well as the measures adopted for uniform education system and related legal reforms.

PM Imran also laid special emphasis on providing facilities in schools.

Among the participants of the meeting were federal ministers Shafqat Mehmood, Senator Shibli Faraz, and Hammad Azhar, Adviser Mirza Shehzad Akbar, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Punjab Chief Secretary, provincial ministers Makhdoom Hashim Javan Bakht and Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, as well as senior officials.

 

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Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 282,645, recovery rate rose to 258,099

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 282,645 on Friday after new infections were confirmed in the country.

Total: 282,645

• Sindh: 122,759

• Punjab: 94,040

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 34,432

• Balochistan: 11,821

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 15,182

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 2,287

• AJK: 2,124

Deaths: 6,052

• Punjab: 2,164

• Sindh: 2,250

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,219

• Balochistan: 137

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 170

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 55

• AJK: 57

RECOVERED: 258,099

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Microsoft aiming to buy TikTok entire global business: FT

Microsoft is chasing a deal to buy all of TikTok’s global business, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing five people with knowledge of the talks.

However, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Microsoft had not raised the prospect of buying all of TikTok in its negotiations with ByteDance.

Microsoft had said it was seeking to buy the assets of TikTok in North America, Australia and New Zealand. It had not disclosed how much it was willing to pay, though sources previously told Reuters that ByteDance executives value all of TikTok at more than $50 billion.

Microsoft declined to comment on the report. TikTok parent ByteDance did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

The company is exploring whether it can add regions including India and Europe to the deal, according to the FT report.

There was a “deal in the works” with Microsoft for TikTok India but it fell through, the FT reported, citing one person close to ByteDance in India.

TikTok faces a Sept. 15 deadline to either complete a sale of its U.S. operations to Microsoft or face a ban in the United States.

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Shehbaz Sharif criticizes FM Qureshi over OIC remarks

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday criticised the remarks of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi about the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and termed it "highly unfortunate and irresponsible".

In a tweet, the opposition leader lambasted foreign minister's statement, saying that it "flies in the face of history and Pakistan's trusted relationship with the Kingdom."

"The cavalier attitude by this government is undermining Pakistan's core relations with friendly countries," the PML-N stalwart wrote on Twitter.

Criticising the government for isolating Pakistan at the global stage due to its dismal stances on international issues, the PML-N president said that the government has already made similar blunders towards friendly countries in the past.

"Apologise to Saudi Arabia and deal matters wisely and efficiently," he said, reminding the government about the strategic and historic brotherly relations between the two countries and that Riyadh has always backed Islamabad in its time of need.

Earlier on Wednesday, FM Qureshi, in an unusually assertive way, asked OIC to stop dragging its feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) over the Kashmir conflict.

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PIA announces discount on domestic flights

The Pakistan International Airlines has offered a 14% discount on its domestic flights ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

The national airline is offering a special discount on the 73rd Independence Day. The flights will be between Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

The offer will be applicable from August 7 to 14, 2020, keeping in view the spirit of independence.

The airline will also allow 73 kilograms of baggage per traveller. PIA will start its flights from Multan, Sukkur and Gwadar from August 13 to revive the airline operations, which were severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

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